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How can you tell if the flue is open?

How can you tell if the flue is open?

Perform a visual check. Using a flashlight, poke your head inside the fireplace to look up into the chimney. If you have a throat damper, you can tell if it is closed if you see a barrier above your head. If you can see up into the flue, the damper is open.

How do you open and close a flue?

Push the lever up slightly to disengage it from its support tab and then pull it away from the tab horizontally as the damper lowers into a closed position. If your fireplace has pull chains, pull the longer chain to disengage the damper and then pull the shorter chain to close the flue.

How do I know if my gas fireplace flue is open or closed?

A good way to test this is to turn on your gas logs with the damper slightly closed. Hold a lighter or candle in front of the fireplace opening near the top. If the flame from the lighter (candle) is being drawn in toward the fireplace, then you are OK.

What’s the difference between a damper and a flue?

A damper is located in the flue of your chimney. The flue is where the smoke escapes when the fire is going. Dampers are placed inside of the flue to help control ventilation. Your damper should have a chain or handle that you can access in order to open and close it.

Does a fireplace need a fresh air vent?

Fire requires oxygen, so any fireplace with real fire from a source such as wood or gas requires a renewable supply of incoming air. This is often referred to as “fresh air,” though the IRC also calls it “combustion air.”

When should I close my fireplace flue?

Close Fireplace Damper When Fire Is Completely Out. Shut the damper when the fire is completely, absolutely out. That means ashes are cool to the touch even when stirred. If you close the damper before that, you risk carbon monoxide poisoning.

Should the damper be open all the way?

The damper should always be fully open before lighting a fire and when the fireplace is in use. Close it when it’s not it use. Operating the fireplace with the damper partially closed will not generate more heat. Instead, blocking the passage through the flue will result in smoke entering the home.